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Dr. Bill Pietra

Associate Professor and Medical Director Pediatric Cardiac Transplant Program, The Children's Hospital
Bill Pietra

Dr. Pietra graduated from the University of South Florida, College of Medicine with his Doctor of Medicine in 1988.  He served his Pediatric Internship, Residency and Cardiology Fellowship at Children's Hopsital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH.  In 1994 began his career with The Children's Hospital, Denver, CO and faculty with the University of Colorado, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Cardiology.  Since that time he has been promoted to Medical Directorships with Pediatric Cardiac Transplant Program and Pediatric Mechanical Assist Program.

Within his clinical expertise he has direct involvement in the clinical care, and pre and post operative management of the pediatric cardiac transplant patients at The Children's Hospital with particular expertise in transplantation for the infant population. 

His research interest is in the mechanism of CD4 T Cell dependent acute allograft rejection continuing to investigate the role CD4 T Cells as both effectors in the allograft response.

Phone: 303.724.6846
Email: Bill.Pietra@ucdenver.edu

 

PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

Pediatric Heart Transplantation after Declaration of Cardiocirculatory Death. Mark M. Boucek, Christine Mashburn, Susan Dunn, Rebecca Frizell, Leah Edwards, Biagio Pietra, David Campbell. The New England Journal of Medicine 359:7, August 14, 2008.

Successful orthotopic heart transplant in an infant with an inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the left ventricle. Di Maria, M. V., Campbell, D. N., Mitchell, M. B., Lovell, M. A., Pietra, B. A., Miyamoto, S. D., Journal of Heart Lung Transplantation, 27(7), 792-6, 2008.

Spontaneous allograft tolerance in B7-deficient mice independent of preexisting endogenous CD4+CD25+ regulatory T-cells Grazia, T. J., Plenter, R. J., Doan, A. N., Kelly, B. P., Weber, S. M., Kurche, J. S., Cushing, S. O., Gill, R. G., Pietra, B. A. Transplantation 83(11) 1449-58, 2007

Altered ventricular mechanics in cardiac allografts: a tissue Doppler study in 30 children without prior rejection events. Pauliks, L. B., Pietra, B. A., Kirby, S., Logan, L., DeGroff, C. G., Boucek, M. M., Valdes-Cruz, L. M. JISHLT. 24(11):1804-13, 2005.

A 15-year review of children with Kawasaki's Syndrome having general anesthesia or deep sedation. Morrison, J. E., Anderson, M., Chan, K. C., Pietra, B., Zuk, J., Gnadinger, P. Pediatric Anesthesia.15(12)1053-8, 2005.

Perturbation of Leukocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1/Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 Results in Differential Outcomes in Cardiac Vs Islet Allograft Survival.  TJ Grazia, RG Gill, HC Gelhaus Jr., AN Doan, ML Sleater, BA Pietra.  Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. 24 (9):1410-1414, 2005

Non-invasive detection of acute allograft rejection in children by tissue Doppler imaging: myocardial velocities and myocardial acceleration during isovolumic contraction. Pauliks LB, Pietra BA, DeGroff CG, Kirby KS, Knudson OA, Logan L, Boucek MM, Valdes-Cruz LM. Journal of Heart Lung Transplantation. 24 (7 Suppl):S239-48, 2005.

 A Two-Step Model of Acute CD4 T-Cell Mediated Cardiac Allograft Rejection. Todd J. Grazia, Biagio A. Pietra, Zachary A. Johnson, Brian P. Kelly, Robert J. Plenter, Ronald G. Gill. Journal of Immunology; 172(12):7451-8, 2004

Evidence of pulmonary vascular disease after heart transplantation for Fontan circulation failure. Mitchell MB, Campbell DN, Ivy D, Boucek MM, Sondheimer HM, Pietra B, Das BB, Coll JR. J Thoracic Cardiovasc Surgery. 128(5):693-702, Nov, 2004.

Distinct Requirements for Host CD80/CD86 Costimulatory Molecules in Cardiac Versus Islet Rejection. Johnson Z, Beilke J, Pietra B, Kelly B, Gill RG..  Transplant Proceedings.  May;36(4):1171-2. 2004.

Improved Pre-transplant Management of Infants with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome Enables Discharge to Home while Waiting for Transplantation. Bourke KD, Sondheimer HM, Ivy DD, Pietra B, Gleason BK, Mashburn C, Boucek MM. Pediatric Cardiology. 24(6):538-43. Nov-Dec, 2003.

Coronary Artery Vasculopathy in Pediatric Cardiac Transplant Patients; The Therapeutic Potential of Immunomodulators. B Pietra, M Boucek.  Pediatric Drugs; 5(8):513-24, 2003.

Mechanical Limitation of Pulmonary Blood Flow Facilitates Heart Transplantation in Older Infants with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. Max B. Mitchell, David N. Campbell, Mark M. Boucek, Henry M. Sondheimer, Kak C. Chan, David D. Ivy, Biagio Pietra, Todd Mackenzie. European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. 23(5):735-42. May, 2003.

Donor IFN-Gamma Receptors are Critical for Acute CD4(+) T Cell-Mediated Cardiac Allograft Rejection. Pietra BA, Wiseman, AC, Kelly BP, Rayat GR, Rizeq M, Gill RG. Journal Immunology, 1;167(9):5457-63, Nov, 2001.

Mycophenolic Acid Levels in Pediatric Heart Transplant Recipients Receiving Mycophenolate Mofetil. Dipchand AI, Pietra B, McCrindle BW, Rosenbrook-Bicknell HL, Boucek MM.  Journal Heart Lung Transplant, 20(10)1035-43, Oct, 2001.

Death after cardiac transplantation in low birth weight neonates. Chinnock, R., Naftel, D., Singh, T., Canter, C., Pietra, B., Kirklin, J., Morrow, W. Journal Heart Lung Transplant 20 (2) 260-261, Feb. 2001.

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein discrepancy and high prevalence of coronary artery abnormalities in Kawasaki disease. Anderson MS, Burns J, Treadwell TA, Pietra BA, Glode MP. Journal of Pediatric Infectious Disease. 20(7):698-702, Jul, 2001.

CD4 T-Cell Mediated Cardiac Allograft Rejection Requires Donor but not Host MHC Class II. Pietra BA, Wiseman A, Bolwerk A, Rizeq M, Gill RG. Journal of Clinical Investigation 106(8):1003-10. Oct, 2000.

CD4 T Cells Acutely Reject Cardiac Allografts via Direct Donor Recognition. Pietra B, Rizeq M, Bolwerk A, Gill RG. Transplant Proceedings 31(1-2):92. Feb, 1999.

Anti-Human Cardiac Myosin Autoantibodies in Kawasaki Syndrome. Cunningham MW, Meissner HC, Heuser JS, Pietra BA, Kurahara DK, Leung DYM. Journal of Immunologists 15;163(2):1060-5. Jul, 1999.

Different Roles for Alpha 4-Integrin/VCAM-1 and Alpha 4/fibronection Interactions in Allograft Rejection. Stegall MB, Elices M. Pietra BA, Shepard G, Cup C, Gill RG. Transplant Proceedings. 31(1-2):786, Feb-Mar, 1999.

Infant Heart Transplantation: Improved Intermediate Results. Mitchell MB, Campbell DN, Clarke DR, Fullerton DA, Grover FL, Boucek MM, Pietra B, Luna M, Shroyer AL, Coll JR, Rosky JW.  Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery, 116(2):242-52.  Aug, 1998.

Anti-T Cell Antibody Prophylaxis in Children: Success with a Novel Combination Strategy of Mycophenolate Mofetil and Anti-Thymocyte Serum. Boucek MM., Pietra B, Sondheimer H, Luna M, Shaffer E, Hall P, Campbell D. Transplant Proceedings 29(8A):16S-20S. Dec, 1997.

TCR V beta family repertoire and T cell activation markers in Kawasaki disease.
Pietra BA, De Inocencio J, Giannini EH, Hirsch R. Journal of Immunology,15;153(4):1881-8. Aug, 1994.

Inhibition Of Lymphocyte Activation By Wheat Germ Agglutinin:  A Model For Saccharide-Specific Suppressor Factors. Barrett D, Edwards J, Pietra BA, Ayoub E.  Cellular Immunology, 81:287-297, 1993.

Heart Transplantation:  Post-transplant Management.  Miyamoto, S.D., Pietra, B.A.  In R. Fine, W. Harmon, S. Webber, D. Kelly, K. Olthoff (Eds.), Pediatric Solid Organ Transplantation, 2nd edition.  Oxford, England:  Blackwell Publishing, (in press) 2007.

Transplantation Immunology 2003:  Simplified Approach. BA Pietra.  Pediatric Clinics of North American. Fine, R. A., eds., 50(6) 1233-1259.  2003. 

Immunobiology of Cardiac Allo and Xenograft Transplantation. Pietra BA.
Seminars Thoracic Cardiovascular Surgery: Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Annual. 4:123-57, 2001.

Immunosuppression for Pediatric Cardiac Transplantation in the Modern Era. Pietra BA, Boucek MM. Progress in Pediatric Cardiology. 1;11(2):115-129, June 2000.

Pediatric Heart Transplantation. Boucek MM, Pietra BA,.  Current Opinion in Organ Transplantation. 5:146-153, 2000.

Heart Transplantation in Children: Indications. Fricker FJ, Addonizio L, Bernstein D, Boucek M, Boucek R, Canter C, Chinnock R, Chin C, Kichuk M, Lamour J, Pietra BA, Morrow R, Rotundo K, Shaddy R, Pahl Schuette E, Schowengerdt KO, Sondheimer H, Webber S.  Pediatric Transplantation.  3:333-342, 1999.

Pediatric Heart Transplantation. Boucek Mark M., Pietra Biagio A.  Current Opinion Cardiology. 10(2):223-228, 1995.